Sweden’s opposition demands urgent meeting on Quran burnings

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Sweden’s left-wing opposition party demanded an emergency parliamentary meeting Tuesday about the ongoing Quran burnings.

"We are calling for the foreign policy committee to be called to an extra meeting as soon as possible as a result of what is now happening," Social Democrats' foreign policy spokesperson Morgan Johansson said in a statement.

Johansson urged the government to take measures “to protect Swedish lives and the Swedish interests.”

He said Sweden has found itself in “an extremely serious situation which has been getting steadily worse."

The Social Democrats demanded the right-wing government inform the Riksdag about the diplomatic crisis that Sweden is facing and inform other parties about how it intends to manage the turmoil caused by Quran burnings -- domestically and internationally.

Johansson suggested the government has kept a low profile during the crisis and “in practice has said nothing.”

“I can have some understanding of that, but at the same time they have an obligation to show leadership and answer the public's questions,” he added.

There has been an international backlash concerning the Quran desecration which led to Sweden’s ambassadors being summoned across the Muslim world.

Muslim nations have strongly condemned the Quran burnings and have demanded that Sweden impose bans and review laws which allow the burnings to take place.

Hundreds of Iraqis stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad last week and set it ablaze to protest the burnings of the Muslim holy book.